: At this point in time the unit was stationed on [[Outreach]]. <ref name = FMMercsp114 >'' Field Manual: Mercenaries'', p. 114</ref>

===3067===

===3067===

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Wolf's Dragoons' Beta Regiment was an elite mercenary formation. As one of the five front-line regiments of the famous Wolf's Dragoons, they were counted among the most prestigious units in the Inner Sphere for over six decades of service.

Although Beta Regiment has spent much of its existence in the shadow of the Dragoons' Alpha Regiment, Beta Regiment established itself early on as a crack unit in its own right. Beginning on Halloran V, the first major action seen by the Dragoons in the Inner Sphere, Beta Regiment amassed a string of victories to establish its reputation among the best of the best. It was Beta Regiment who held the line on Crossing when the Dragoons were fighting for their very lives, buying ColonelJaime Wolf and the other Dragoons time to regroup. Even in those rare instances when they met defeat, the Beta always delivered as well as they received, from Hesperus II to Wapakoneta to their desperate defense of the Dragoons' home of Outreach at the dawn of the Jihad. It was only during the Dragoon Civil War that Beta Regiment broke the faith with the Unity, following their commander in siding against Colonel Wolf, the legendary leader of the Dragoons. The crucible that followed saw Wolf, Beta Regiment and the Dragoons reborn stronger and more unified than before. Beta Regiment would regain its prestigious reputation before finally falling in orbit over Mars to Word of Blake orbital defenses. They would be inactive for nearly fifty years before they were finally reformed during the late Republic era.

Beta Regiment first saw action in February 3006 on the Capellan world of Halloran V, which had been used as a staging ground to raid Davion planets by Marion's Highlanders and the Blackwind Lancers. Beta would join Gamma Regiment, Delta Regiment and Zeta Battalion as well as the Seventh Kommando special forces unit, all under the overall command of Colonel Jaime Wolf.[6] The Dragoons achieved total surprise in their initial attacks, using Zeta Battalion's assault 'Mechs as a hammer and forcing the Liao troops to abandon their main base and falling back to the city of Gethin. Colonel Wolf and his staff prepared a two-pronged assault. Beta, Gamma and Zeta would provide the main push on the Capellans' left flank, attempting to overwhelm the Highlanders in their entrenched positions on the slopes of the Shobol River Valley. Meanwhile, Delta Regiment would pressure the Lancers on the opposing flank, preventing them from coming to their comrades' aid. Colonel Ellman led Beta in the initial attack on 13 February, with Gamma and Zeta held in reserve. Ellman aggressively led with an incendiary strike on the forest, followed up with a rapid deployment of Beta's heavy and assault lances. The lead elements of Beta, fresh soldiers in undamaged 'Mechs, engaged the disorganized and overheating Highlanders in a virtual inferno, as oily, black smoke and flames gave the Dragoons excellent cover. The Marion's Highlanders were driven back, with Gamma Regiment called up to press the attack. By nightfall, when the Dragoons finally let up to rest and rearm, the Liao troops seemed on the verge of total collapse. The following day, however, the Highlanders had rallied, holding off further attacks by Beta and Gamma with grit and determination.[7] It was here that the Seventh Kommando came into play, as they created false reports of an enemy formation behind the Blackwind Lancers, leading them to abandon their positions just as Delta Regiment was making a renewed push. The Lancers retreated into the valley where the Highlanders were still holding off the rest of the Dragoons. This threw the Marion's Highlander forces into disarray, allowing Beta and Gamma Regiments to collapse on the Capellan forces. By the time Liao reinforcements arrived, it was all they could do to help the remnants of the Lancers and Highlanders to retreat. In only five days, the Dragoons had routed two regiments and achieved their first real victory, having ended the raiding campaign.[8]

Beta and Alpha Regiments were on Weekapaug with Colonel Wolf when the five regiments of McCarron's Armored Cavalry launched a surprise attack on the Dragoons' base world of New Valencia. The three remaining Dragoon regiments, though heavily outnumbered, held off the Cavalry while Wolf led Alpha and Beta home. Meanwhile, First PrinceIan Davion had sent the three regiments of the Eridani Light Horse to New Valencia as reinforcements. With the Horsemen inbound and unable to break the Dragoons' defenses, Colonel Archibald McCarron reluctantly ordered the Cavalry to retreat, departing before any of the reinforcements could make planet-fall. Shortly thereafter, elements of the Seventh Kommando and the Special Recon Group conducted a successful reprisal raid against the Cavalry on Menke.[9] In November 3007, Beta Regiment repelled a raid on Weekapaug by the St. Ives Armored Cavalry, with assistance from the Fire Support Group. Beta Regiment continued to participate in raids against the Confederation, both large and small, all the while helping to build the Dragoon reputation on both sides of the border.[10][11]

In March 3008, Beta Regiment and virtually all of Wolf's Dragoons were rotated to Halloran, having been chosen to participate in the critical invasion of New Aragon, along with five AFFSRegimental Combat Teams. These forces included the vaunted 4th Deneb Light Cavalry, which would accompany the Dragoons, along with elements of the Avalon Hussars and Crucis Lancers. The entire campaign was a bloody affair, with Delta Regiment losing its commander and most Dragoon units suffering heavy damage against entrenched commands from the 1st and 2nd Kearny Highlanders and McCormack's Fusiliers of the famed Northwind Highlanders, as well as the Waco Rangers. The death of John Waco, the son of Ranger commander Colonel Wayne Waco, sparked a vendetta between the Waco Rangers and the Dragoons that would last six decades. Despite all the adversity, the Dragoons followed Zeta Battalion into El Diablo Pass, overrunning the defending forces. This compromised the positions of the entire Capellan formation, forcing them to retreat. The Dragoons and their AFFS allies would triumph as New Aragon returned to Davion hands.[12][13][14][15]

The remainder of 3008 would be relatively quiet for the Dragoons, and in January 3009, the Dragoons, with House Davion's permission, went off combat duty for several months, during which they reported their findings to the Clans. Upon their return, the Dragoons continued to successfully engage House Liao forces in minor raiding operations. In 3010, however, with the Dragoons' contract expiring, Colonel Wolf accepted a five year contract with the Capellan Confederation, an arrangement that stipulated they would not be used against House Davion, with whom they had largely enjoyed good relations.[16][17]

In mid-3010, the Dragoons signed on with the Capellan Confederation. Against the forces of the Free Worlds League, the Dragoons continued to build on their already impressive reputation, although Beta Regiment, for their own part, was primarily confined to garrison duties and relatively minor raids. Wolf's Dragoons had their main headquarters on Carver V, and in May 3013 they were rotated to defend Principia along with Gamma Regiment. Although the Free Worlds League Military had come to fear the Dragoons, the Capellan High Command seemed hesitant to employ them after the victorious Shiro III campaign. Beta and the other regiments formed special lances of MechWarriors who were growing particularly restless at the inactivity.[17][18][19]

Beta Regiment was assigned Task Force Eagle along with most of the other Dragoon units, with the group's ultimate objective a planned thrust towards Atreus itself, the capital of the League. Task Force Eagle struck at Nova Roma in June 3014, with Beta Regiment leading the way alongside Zeta Battalion, the Seventh Kommando, the Special Recon Group, the 4th Regulan Hussars and the 3rd Ducal Guard. Eagle's ultimate target was Atreus itself, the League's capital.[22] With Colonel Ellman in command, Beta Regiment and the Fourth Hussars quickly pinned the defending 9th Marik Militia, as well as the bulk of six regiments of defending armor and militia units. Meanwhile, the Seventh Kommando slipped into the capital of Constantinople and abducted Governor Irene Constantine, along with most of the cabinet. The Governor was then coerced into ordering her troops to surrender, with most of the militia and conventional units complying. Suddenly badly outnumbered, the Ninth Marik Militia was forced to retreat off-world. Although the rebels had effectively won control of the planet in just three days of fighting, Eagle still needed to root out loyalist resistance units who had fled into the wilderness. Although this took some time, overall casualties to Beta Regiment and Task Force Eagle's other units had been light.[23][24][25]

One notable setback did occur in the rugged terrain above the Dawn River, where elements of Beta Regiment, particularly Natasha Kerensky's heavy lance, were hunting for loyalist guerrillas. A small mercenary band led by the enigmatic Bounty Hunter was conducting reconnaissance for the rebels when the Hunter, piloting a Griffin, signaled Kerensky that the way ahead was clear. As the Beta 'Mechs entered the narrow ravine, loyalist forces appeared and launched a vicious ambush against the Dragoons. The Dragoon 'Mechs were destroyed with only Kerensky and one other warrior surviving. A third warrior was summarily executed by loyalist infantry. The Bounty Hunter claimed Kerensky's salvaged Marauder as compensation for turning against the rebels. The Hunter and his small cadre soon fled the planet. In the aftermath of the battle, a Dragoon Board of Inquiry cleared Kerensky of wrong-doing in the incident. On the contrary, Colonel Wolf promoted Kerensky to the rank of Captain and formed an independent company around her and her lance's other survivor, Colin MacLaren. This company would be made up of Dragoons who were considered discipline or criminal cases in other units, and were at risk of being booted out of the Dragoons or sent to prison. In addition to Kerensky and MacLaren, Lieutenant Takiro Ikeda also came to the new company from Beta Regiment, having demonstrated an "extreme aggressiveness" that nearly got him drummed out of the Dragoons.[26][27][28][29][30] After the conflict had ended, Kerensky's Independent Company would take on an official name, the Black Widow Company, and would go on to become the most famous unit of its size in the Inner Sphere.

The Ninth Marik Militia, meanwhile, had retreated to Emris IV, joining an armed loyalist camp that waited to meet the advance of Duke Anton's rebels. The Ninth was joined by the 6th Marik Militia, its large aerospace contingent, and a full brigade of Federal infantry, all in entrenched positions around StarCorp Industries' Ivanograd facility and the Holly Industries weapon plant in the city of Urseinova. A task force of Dragoons represented the rebels, Beta Regiment joined Alpha and Gamma Regiments, along with Zeta Battalion and the Fire Support Group. In addition, Anton sent along the FWLS Falcon’s Nest, a Vengeance-class DropShip carrying two crack rebel fighter wings. The rebel and Dragoon fighters easily pushed aside loyalist fighters, allowing the Dragoons to land. Ellman and Beta Regiment would once again take on the Ninth Militia in and around Urseinova, supported by Zeta Battalion and the Fire Support Group. Although they outnumbered the loyalists and the Militia was beaten hard by Zeta early on in the campaign, Beta's advance into the city was bogged down by constant ambushes by the Ninth and loyalist infantry and armor. The fighting was some of the most vicious of the entire conflict, as neither side was willing to surrender an inch, but was determined to make their enemies pay in blood. At the height of the battle, Beta's MajorNikos Palassis led Able Battalion, the Cavaliers, into the government district, where they were ambushed by infantry and armor units employing Vibrabombs. Palassis' Warhammer went down under heavy fire, and the Major had to be evacuated with serious injuries. Captain Alicia Fancher took acting command of Able after rescuing Palassis, and promptly called in support from Dragoon armor and artillery. Fancher systematically destroyed the enforced buildings the loyalists were using, ultimately forcing the Ninth Militia to withdraw. With Alpha and Gamma Regiments taking Ivanograd, both Marik Militia units retreated off-world, and Emris became another hard-fought Dragoon victory. Although it had taken two months of heavy fighting, Beta Regiment again escaped with only light damage. Afterwards, Beta and the other Dragoon units remained on Emris, taking time to recover and repair the damage they had sustained.[31][32][33][34]

In October, Beta and Gamma Regiments were joined by Kerensky's Independent Company to form Task Force Condor, a relief force intended to protect the southern flank of Anton's advance. Condor's first target was Matheran, where the loyalist 11th Atrean Dragoons and mercenary Smithson's Chinese Bandits had backed the rebel 12th Atrean Dragoons into a corner. Realizing the Dragoons' presence would completely shift the balance of the fighting, the Bandits quickly pulled back away from the Twelfth in good order. The Eleventh Atrean did not recognize that they would soon be trapped between their fellow Atrean Dragoons and the descending Beta Regiment. Captain Kerensky blocked their line of retreat, and held even in the face of repeated attacks. When they witnessed Beta approaching, they reluctantly surrendered. The Bandits, meanwhile, loaded their DropShips and left Matheran in rebel hands. Beta and Gamma Regiments both took light casualties, having won the battle on their reputations as much as their skill.[35][36]

Task Force Condor struck next at Calloway VI, with the remaining troops of the Twelfth Atrean and the 3rd Ducal Guard joining the Dragoons. Calloway was a major loyalist staging ground for the coming counter-offensive against the rebels, and was defended by five frontline regiments; the 1st, 2nd and 6th Oriente Hussars, along with the 2nd Fusiliers of Oriente and the 6th Defenders of Andurien. The loyalist also had a large stockpile of spare parts and ammunition to call upon, the use of the large Earthwerks Incorporated factory, and sufficient aerospace assets. The task force, already outnumbered, came under attack as soon as they reached the Calloway system, with the Atrean Dragoons losing a company of 'Mechs due to the destruction of their DropShip. Captain Kerensky's Company was able to clear a landing zone for Beta Regiment and the other Dragoons, but the Sixth Defenders, a crack regiment, stood between them and the key factories. Colonel Wilhelmina Korsht and Gamma Regiment launched a flanking attack against the Sixth, who pulled back before loyalist reinforcements arrived in the form of the Sixth Hussars, who again stood between Beta and the facilities. Beta pushed ahead with Gamma's Baker Battalion in support, pushing through the Sixth Hussars who were shattered against the superior skill and size of the Dragoon 'Mechs. By the time they had defeated the Hussars, however, the Fusiliers had redeployed, halting the Dragoon advance for the third time. Before Colonel Ellman could call up his reserves, the First and Second Hussars arrived, driving a wedge between the Dragoons and the other rebel units. The fighting was virtually non-stop, and eventually resulted in the forced surrender of the Third Ducal. Recognizing his situation was hopeless, Ellman called up his DropShips and ordered a retreat. Beta and Gamma used a leapfrog formation to pullback in good order, using Captain Kerensky's company as a rear guard. Despite facing heavy loyalist pressure the whole way, the Dragoons made it off the planet, regrouping on Semenyih. Despite fighting elements of five different Marik regiments, Beta made it away with only moderate losses. It was the first real defeat for the Dragoons during the war, as well as the first significant loss attributed to Beta Regiment in their history. Even in defeat, the Dragoons had destroyed the Sixth Hussars and delivered a major setback to Janos Marik's time-table for his main attack against the rebels.[37][38][39]

By now, the rebellion was in serious trouble, facing setbacks on every major front. Anton Marik, in an act of near-desperation, ordered an attack on the world of Tiber in January 3015, consisting of Beta Regiment with the support of Zeta Battalion, the Fire Support Group, Kerensky's Independent Company and the 6th and 8th Ducal Guard. The Ducal forces were new units made up of new recruits and the remnants of other commands that had been destroyed. The rebel forces quickly captured the under-defended planet and its Earthwerks factory. They faced an almost immediate counter-attack, however, in the 1st Regulan Hussars along with the 1st, 5th, 6th and 8th Orloff Grenadiers. The Hussars, in one of their proudest moments, secured a landing zone for the loyalists despite facing heavy fire from the rest of the Dragoons. Though reduced to a single battalion, the Regulans held and allowed the Grenadiers to make planet fall. The Fifth Grenadiers attempted to advance on the Earthwerks facility, but was blocked by Beta Regiment. The Eighth were likewise ambushed by the 'Mechs of Zeta Battalion. As the fighting dragged on, the First and Sixth Grenadiers pressured the Ducal forces, who were driven back in disarray despite the aid of Captain Kerensky's company. With no reinforcements coming, Ellman, Colonel Wolf and even Duke Anton saw that Tiber could not be held, and ordered a retreat. Zeta Battalion covered the Dragoon withdraw, but both Ducal Guard units were wiped out. Beta Regiment, for its part, took moderate losses in the campaign that had gone on for several weeks. Loyalist forces, meanwhile, had lost nearly 50 percent of the forces they started with. The Dragoons regrouped on Sophie's World.[40][41]

After recuperating on Emris IV, April saw the Dragoons deploy virtually their entire command at the same time, including Beta Regiment, for one of the few times in their early history. The elite mercenaries descended upon McKenna, to counter-attack against the loyalist First and 2nd Regulan Hussars, who had seized the world after forcing off the remnants of the rebel Fifth Hussars. Totally outnumbered, the loyalists retreated with heavy casualties, but even then, the rebel cause was lost. Beta's losses on McKenna were considered light.[42][43]

With his rebellion crumbling around him, Duke Anton demanded that Colonel Wolf break up his forces to supplement Anton's troops, Wolf refused, citing the Dragoons' contract. In retaliation, Anton arrested Liaison Officer Joshua Wolf, Wolf's brother and second-in-command, and 27 Dragoon dependents on New Delos, keeping them as hostages and demanding Wolf comply. Instead, Wolf sent Epsilon Regiment, the Special Recon Group and the Dragoons' Support Battalion to Second Chance to protect the other Dragoon dependents.[44][45]

He then led the rest his forces back to New Delos to attack en masse. The Dragoons, including Beta Regiment, fell upon Duke Anton's stronghold, despite the Duke's claims that Joshua Wolf and the other prisoners had already been executed. When the Seventh Kommando confirmed the murders, it only pushed the Dragoons into a berserker rage. Defending New Delos were surviving elements of the 18th Marik Militia and the remains of the 1st, 2nd and the 5th Ducal Guard. The Dragoons fought with unprecedented fury; elements of the First Ducal Guard quickly seized a DropShip and fled the planet rather than face the mercenaries. They were the only rebels to survive the apocalypse. With the Dragoons' AeroSpace Operations Group taking control of the skies, Alpha and Gamma Regiments led the assault on Anton's heavily defended mountain fortress at Cienfuegos. Delta Regiment secured other areas of the planet while Beta and Zeta initially remained in reserve. When the Duke set fire to the forests at the rear of his compound to prevent the Dragoons from attacking from that direction, Colonel Wolf called up Beta to exploit any breaches in the enemy lines, while Kerensky's Independent Company planned a drop into the forest fire, attacking from the rear. The plan was successful, as Kerensky's troops destroyed the generator powering Anton's automated defenses. The Ducal forces panicked when they realized they were facing an attack from behind, and the other Dragoons chose that moment to launch an all-out assault, and the defenders collapsed. Duke Anton himself met his death when Natasha Kerensky and her 'Mechs, henceforth known as the Black Widows, destroyed his palace, collapsing it on his head. Within three days, the Dragoons had completely destroyed Anton Marik's support base, his Ducal forces, and the Duke himself.[46][47][25][48] Anton's Revolt, the Marik Civil War, was effectively over.

The Dragoons soon came into the employ of their former adversary, Captain-General Janos Marik. What followed became known as the "cattle-raiding" years, as the Dragoons engaged in a series of raids against House Steiner.[49][50]

One of the major engagements of this era came in 3016, when Beta and Delta Regiments attacked the world of Wyatt, defended by the elite 11th Lyran Guards and the 17th Arcturan Guards. The Dragoons engaged the Lyrans in a deadly game of hide-and-seek, with Weisz once again demonstrating why she was called "the Ghost". Nevertheless, the Lyran defenders were familiar with their home terrain, and they soon had the Dragoons on the defensive. When the Dragoon DropShips landed to extract the two regiments, Lyran aerospace fighters plagued them on their descent, inflicting significant damage. One of Beta's DropShips was destroyed while lifting up, leading to the destruction of an entire battalion.[51] Despite the personnel setbacks on Wyatt, the raid was considered a win by the Marik High Command, as it had occupied two of the best Lyran regiments for several weeks, allowing FWLM to raid other worlds.[52]

After these events, Colonel Jeremy Ellman decided to retire. It was only when Jaime Wolf employed his considerable gifts of persuasion that Ellman agreed to stay on with the Dragoons as the new head of the Dragoon Training Command, training future Dragoons from among the families.[53][54] In his place emerged Andrei Shostokovitch, promoted to Colonel after distinguishing himself as a battalion commander on Wyatt and previously. Shostokovitch's brash but skillful approach made him quickly popular with his troops. After taking the needed time to rebuild, Beta Regiment soon returned to action, launching a successful raid on New Kyoto.[49][50][55]

At the dawn of 3019, the Dragoons would begin the boldest campaign of their history up to that point: The attempted conquest of Hesperus II, home of Defiance Industries, the largest BattleMech factory in the Inner Sphere. During the Succession Wars, Defiance had held out successfully against twelve major campaigns to take or destroy it, and which had been the foundation for the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces entire military industry since the fall of the Star League. In a series of raids, the Dragoons made their way through Lyran space, keeping House Steiner off-guard with their seeming odd choice of targets.[56] Most of the raids would go well for the Dragoons, as few Lyran units could stand against them and the Lyran High Command did not know where they would strike next.[57] Unfortunately for the Dragoons, a spy in the Marik court had revealed to the Lyrans the Dragoons ultimate target.[58]

The Thirteenth Battle for Hesperus would be a brutal campaign, as the Dragoons faced far greater opposition than predicted. Hesperus II had been reinforced. In addition to the normal garrison of the elite 6th and 15th Lyran Guards, the Dragoons now faced the 24th Lyran Guards, the 3rd Royal Guards and the mercenary Hsien Hotheads and Hansen's Roughriders regiments. Despite heavy aerospace opposition, Alpha, Beta and Gamma were able to land on the planet mostly intact on 6 June. However, the regiments were scattered in the Harkspur Mountains, far from their objective of Defiance in the Myoo Mountains, giving the Lyrans plenty of room to force the Dragoons into paying for every inch of ground. Delta and Epsilon Regiments were initially held in reserve, but Wolf soon called down Delta when it became apparent that the defenders were far more numerous than expected. The Deltas took losses making planet fall, but still managed to inflict damage to the enemy's rear, giving the Dragoons time to regroup. During one stretch early in the campaign, Beta Regiment was accompanied by Colonel Wolf himself and his reinforced command lance, personally observing their advance while Major Kelly Yukinov took command of Alpha Regiment.[59][60] After returning to Alpha Regiment's position on 14 June, Wolf announced he was calling up Epsilon Regiment and Zeta Battalion and giving Alpha and Beta Regiments two days' rest to refit.[61] Beta's Baker Battalion had distinguished itself in particular, repeatedly striking the defenders in raids and unpredictable strikes. The Lyrans took to calling Baker commander Major Michael Hart the "Blue-Eyed Devil" for his skill.[62]

After a grueling, two week campaign, the Dragoons had fought their way to the Erewhon River where the regiments regrouped. Beta briefly went offline to rearm while Zeta Battalion and various elements of Alpha, Gamma and Epsilon tried in vain to fight their way across the river. The Dragoons desperately attempted to form a beachhead on the other side, only to be driven back each time with heavy losses.[63][64] It was Captain Natasha Kerensky, the Black Widow, who proposed a solution. Kerensky identified an old fording route, called Tanda's Crossing, an easily crossable shallow stretch of the river which led directly to a narrow passage through the mountains. The shortcut led directly to the Defiance factories, and as it had been classified by the LCAF centuries before, it was only lightly defended.[65][66] Kerensky's Black Widow Company would form the tip of the Dragoon spear, while Delta and Epsilon Regiments would follow closely behind. Beta Regiment and Zeta Battalion were called forward to hold the Lyrans' attention, maintaining the illusion that the Dragoons' were still looking to cross near their original position. The Betas ranged up and down their side of the river, distracting the defenders as they feigned a search for a weak spot down river.[67][68][69] The beginning of the operation went well, with Kerensky and elements of Alpha Regiment securing a beachhead, Delta and Epsilon Regiments pushed across, following the Black Widows into the passage.[67] Wolf himself soon arrived at the Crossing, escorted by a battalion from Beta Regiment. The rest of Beta as well as Gamma Regiments moved north, preparing to join the rest of the Dragoons while Alpha Regiment remained at the original river site.[70] The Lyran commander quickly realized the danger to the factories, however, and dispatched Hansen's Roughriders to stop the Dragoons short of the factories. The Black Widow Company came into range of the Defiance Industries plant when they were attacked by the defending Roughriders. Badly outnumbered, the Widows were forced to pull back. Not even the arrival of Delta and Epsilon Regiments could dislodge the Roughriders. The 24th Lyran had flanked Delta Regiment, linking up with the Sixth Guards and stabilizing the Lyran lines. Kerensky reported in to Colonel Wolf back at the beachhead, having realized the Dragoons couldn't prevail. Further attempts to press the attack forward would be futile. Out of supplies and with major casualties, Wolf reluctantly ordered a retreat. The Beta battalion then escorted Colonel Wolf, his command lance, and the Black Widows back south. Beta Regiment would be the second-to-last command to lift off Hesperus, behind only the remaining elements of Alpha Regiment who served as a rear guard. The Dragoons made their way back to Sterling, their base world in Marik space.[71][72][73][74][75]

Although the bulk of the Dragoon forces returned to the Free Worlds League to recover and refit, Colonel Wolf and a contingent of his warriors returned to the Clan Homeworlds to report. Six months later, Wolf would return to the Inner Sphere with replacement 'Mechs and equipment. To help replace his lost warriors, Jaime Wolf opened the Dragoons to hiring from outside the unit for the first time. Beta and the other Dragoons saw little action for the remainder of their service to House Marik.[76][77]

In Spring 3020, Wolf's Dragoons signed on with House Steiner's Lyran Commonwealth. ArchonKatrina Steiner, had been impressed with their performance on Hesperus, and sought to use them against the Draconis Combine. The Dragoons took their post on Chukchi III, their new base world.[78] It was during this year that Major Nikos Palassis, long-time commander of Beta Regiment's Able Battalion, retired, to the surprise of many who thought the reckless officer would eventually die in combat. Taking over command of Able was Alicia Fancher, who soon implemented a far more disciplined approach to the Cavaliers, who had previously been known for their reckless daring that had earned them comparisons to Zeta Battalion.[79][80] During the same year, Tara Lucas, a talented but headstrong young officer in Beta, was reprimanded for insubordination and fighting. She accepted a transfer to Zeta Battalion, where she and her descendants would serve and excel for decades to come.[81][82] Although they continued to help build on the Dragoon reputation, Beta Regiment did not take part in any of the larger operations such as the major offensive on Dromini VI.

In early 3023, the Dragoons left House Steiner's service, signing on with House Kurita. Tensions had been rising between CoordinatorTakashi Kurita's Draconis Combine and First Prince Hanse Davion's Federated Suns, and the Dragoons would soon find themselves in the middle of it.[83] While the rest of the Dragoons engaged in operations on Quentin and Hoff, Beta Regiment and Zeta Battalion accompanied the Dragoon dependents and support staff to their new base world of An Ting in the Galedon Military District. There, they built a bivouac made from prefab buildings, with a command center, housing and 'Mech and DropShip facilities.[84] Colonel Andrei Shostokovitch, meanwhile, accompanied Colonel Wolf and his task force to Quentin, where he served as a guide to the Dragoons' new liaison officer, Chu-saMinobu Tetsuhara. He also coordinated operations from the Batan Spaceport in Wolf's absence.[85] Beta and Gamma Regiments would ultimately garrison Misery alongside Gamma Regiment. For the next two years, Beta Regiment and the other Dragoon units would participate in raids all across the Draconis March, earning a fierce reputation among the AFFS forces.[86] In November 3024, Beta reported that a shipment of cold-weather gear provided by the DCMS' Procurement Department had been defective and inadequate for the cold of Misery. Tetsuhara, as liaison officer, ordered them new equipment.[87] As of 3025, Beta's permanent home remained on Misery alongside Gamma Regiment.[88] In one particular raid on the icy world of Cylene, Able Battalion's Third Company successfully ambushed elements of the Warren's Weasels mercenary company, leading to a route. Afterwards, Able-Third took the nickname "The Snow Leopards".[89]

In January 3025, as part of an operation to distract House Davion from the upcoming Galtor Campaign, Beta and Gamma Regiments, along with Zeta Battalion, were chosen to invade the world of Deshler, a key border world and site of a former 'Mech factory, the Aghama 'Mechworks, that had long since been damaged but still housed very valuable equipment. While Colonel Wilhelmina Korsht and Gamma attacked the Raman DMM in Valerian Bay, Beta Regiment moved directly on the factories. Expecting relatively light resistance, Beta instead found themselves up against the elite 4th Davion Guards RCT. Shostokovitch and Beta were forced to land far to northwest of Aghama valley, in the barrens. Beta Regiment was ambushed by Davion armor during their advance, throwing them behind schedule. As the whole regiment advanced into the valley, the Guards appeared to have fallen back. The Fourth, nicknamed "Dragon’s Bane", launched a massive ambush from hidden positions, using their combined-arms tactics to cut off Beta's heavier elements from their light recon companies. Captain Ramon Magdaleno's Baker-Third company was nearly overwhelmed, surrounded by Davion infantry and unable to withdraw or advance. The Betas would rally, however, around Major Anton Ivanovitch's Charlie Battalion, the "Red Guard", one of the most disciplined units within the Dragoons. The Red Guard formed a perimeter, giving Shostokovitch time to regroup and rescue the remnants of Magdaleno's company. The Dragoons slowly advanced, facing heavy resistance the entire way. With the support of Zeta Battalion, they were finally able to take the factories in early April, only to find that they'd been stripped of all valuable equipment. Two weeks later, with the aid of elements of the Seventh Kommando, Gamma Regiment was able to force a cessation of hostilities in Valerian Bay, inflicting serious damage on the Fourth Davions' conventional assets. Deshler briefly fell into House Kurita's hands. However, as the Combine attack on Marduk had failed and the Galtor campaign itself was headed towards disaster, Deshler was at risk of being cutoff. Takashi Kurita reluctantly ordered the Dragoons to withdraw. Although they had taken heavy damage and were unable to hold the planet, the Dragoons had succeeded in their primary task of preventing the Fourth Guards from joining in the defense of Galtor, although the Raman DMM would later see action in that campaign.[90][91][92][93]

Afterwards, Beta Regiment returned to Misery to rest and refit.[88] Later, in December 3026, Beta was ordered to rotate to Marlowe's Rift, to serve alongside one of the newly-formed Ryuken regiments.[94] By all accounts, Beta continued to serve with distinction for the remainder of the Dragoons' contract.

In January 3028, relations between the Combine and the Dragoons exploded on An Ting into open violence. Although most of Beta Regiment was not present, the course of the Dragoons was now clear. [95] In April 3028, Beta Regiment joined the rest of the Dragoon units on Misery. All five Dragoon front-line regiments, along with Zeta Battalion and the Black Widow Company, would face-off against the Ryuken, now built up to four regiments, along with the 17th Galedon Regulars, the 21st Galedon Regulars, and the elite 8th Sword of Light, all commanded by newly-promoted Tai-sho Minobu Tetsuhara, who knew the Dragoons and Jaime Wolf better than anyone outside the mercenary command.[96][97] The Battle of Misery proved to be one of the largest, most bloody 'Mech battles in history, with neither side giving any quarter.[98] Abandoning their original objective, to buy their dependents enough time to escape, the Dragoons attempted to defeat the Kuritan force despite being outnumbered by better than 3-2.[99] In one of the most famous actions early in the campaign, Captain Danielle Rondema's Charlie-First company, a heavy-assault unit, encountered a Ryuken company at Hamar Valley in the Trolfjel Highlands. Despite the blizzard-like conditions, the Dragoons attacked in earnest, quickly destroying the entire opposing force before a second Ryuken company could reinforce them. "Rondema's Roughnecks" then turned their attention to the second company, destroying it in short order as well. Rondema's Company earned much acclaim from their fellow Dragoons in Beta Regiment for destroying two companies without suffering more than minor damage. Colonel Wolf personally congratulated the Roughnecks on their prowess.[100][101][102]

Beta's performance record on Misery, though excellent, was not universally flawless. In one incident, Lieutenant Shannon Vernon of Able-Third company refused a direct order from Major Fancher. Fancher would demote Vernon to Sergeant, a move which many questioned.[80] Major Hart of Baker Battalion was killed after ejecting from his destroyed 'Mech when a Kuritan Warhammer fell on him.[103]

The Dragoons as a whole ultimately emerged victorious from the campaign, though overall losses were staggering, with many units losing over 50 percent combat effectiveness.[98] Beta Regiment was reorganized into five provisional companies after Misery, with most of their conventional elements transferred to the Home Guard to protect their dependents. In addition to the death of Major Hart, Beta's two surviving battalion commanders, Major Fancher and Major Anton Ivanovitch, both retired after the fighting. In the case of Major Fancher, Colonel Wolf himself convinced her to retire, having found her actions in the Vernon incident to have been in error. As a result, all five of Beta's provisional companies were commanded by Captains, in contrast to most of the other regiments which saw Majors commanding many companies.[80][104] Overall, Beta Battalion fared slightly better than the other Dragoon regiments in terms of losses, with enough warriors and 'Mechs intact to field five companies with a command lance.[104]

The Dragoons regrouped and reorganized on Robinson, the capital of the Draconis March. Signing a contract with House Davion, the Dragoons knew their fight against House Kurita was far from over.[105] Although Beta Regiment had suffered along with the rest of the Dragoons on Misery, their dogged determination and professionalism would allow them to control themselves even in the face of what they had endured. Morale remained steady as the Dragoons prepared for war.[106]

When the Fourth Succession War broke out, Beta Regiment defended the Federated Suns world of Wapakoneta alongside Delta Regiment, which was likewise operating well under-strength. Attacking the planet were Kurita's 3rd Proserpina Hussars, an elite unit, and 12th Galedon Regulars, landing on-planet September 17, 3028. Colonel Shostokovitch and Delta commander Kathleen Dumont emerged from their planning sessions with a strategy that would take advantage of Wapakoneta's small land mass, using a guerrilla warfare defense with hidden supply depots. The Dragoons had thoroughly familiarized themselves as much as possible with the terrain, and were well prepared to defend the continent of New Wisconsin, fighting amongst its vast forests.[107][108][109]

Early in the campaign, Beta's Third Provisional Company, led by Captain Michael Vanduesen, managed to go behind enemy lines along the Sarola River and attacked the Galedon Regulars' main airfield. The Third Provisional destroyed two-thirds of the Kuritan aerospace assets - 25 fighters in all - on the ground, but were themselves annihilated when they were trapped, facing the overwhelming force of the two DCMS regiments. Some of the Dragoons were effectively executed even after their 'Mechs were destroyed, an act that became typical of the fighting on Wapakoneta.[110][111][112][113] Although it was a terrible sacrifice to make, the action did the Dragoons and advantage in air support for the rest of the campaign. The Dragoons were still badly outnumbered, but they were more familiar with the terrain of the world, and received aid from the local citizens. With these factors, they continued to wage a guerrilla warfare campaign against the DCMS troops. Also working in their favor was a lack of coordination between the Twelfth Galedon, a green unit that had taken the lead, and the Third Hussars, who were frustrated at the seeming incompetence of the Twelfth's commander.[114]

In the weeks that followed, the Dragoons split into company and lance-sized units, using hit-and-run tactics and refusing to give the Kuritans a pitched battle that would allow them to take advantage of their superior numbers. This approach was usually successful for the Dragoons, chipping away at the Galedon Regulars and further undermining their cooperation with the Proserpina Hussars. Unfortunately, as effective as this tactic was in the forests and mountains, it was less so in the flat plains, where the DCMS troops were able to use their superior numbers. The Dragoons' efforts were aided by the fact that the Regulars' commander, Sho-sho Tarsus Bodoli, kept his forces on the main roads in tightly packed convoys, easy prey for small groups of elite Dragoons. The Proserpina Hussars and their commanding officer, Sho-sho Bruce Lee Bernstein, grew frustrated at this ineffective approach, eventually splitting off his regiment and breaking it into company-sized units. This proved effective when a light company of Hussars trapped Beta Regiment's Fourth Provisional Company at Stiverson Pass near Stiverson City. The Dragoons, mostly former members of Charlie Battalion's Red Guard, had been attempting to attack a light company of the Galedon Regulars, who themselves had been mauling a cavalry unit from the local militia. Outnumbered two-to-one, only five Beta 'Mechs escaped, and it seemed to become a turning point in the campaign, as the Dragoons were forced to retreat more and more in the wake of these new developments.[107][108][115][116] Both Dragoon Colonels recognized that a change in approach was called for or they would be destroyed one company at a time. They successfully used Beta's Fifth Provisional Company, under the command of Captain Danielle Rondema, to lure a battalion of the Hussars into a massive ambush, where almost the entirety of the remaining Dragoons attacked. Known as the Fight of Ploven's Fields, Colonel Dumont activated a minefield beneath the Hussars, and a dozen Kuritan 'Mechs were destroyed before they managed to withdraw. The Hussars regrouped with the Galedon Regulars, looking to rest and repair.[107][108][115][117]

The Dragoons, meanwhile, had decided to make a stand at the city of Hannibal. While pushing towards that city, however, they were blocked by elements of the Twelfth Galedon, who had taken the key town of Bakir, through which the only bridge to cross the Bakir River went through. The Regulars were well-entrenched, with artillery and aerospace fighter support. With the battle not going well, Colonel Dumont was approached in her 'Mech by an elderly woman, Mavis Greenthorn, who had been an AFFS veteran and who had braved the battlefield to give the Dragoons information about the terrain to help the mercenaries prevail. Revealing a hidden location where the river was shallow enough for 'Mechs to safely cross, the Colonel led the remaining Dragoons across the river, then doubled-back to Bakir, where they surprised the Kuritans from behind. The Regulars quickly withdrew, and the Dragoons would blow the bridge, buying themselves a month worth of time while the Kuritans found a way around the river. Reaching Hannibal was not without cost, however, as Beta's Fifth Provisional Company was intercepted by a superior force. Again facing two-to-one odds, Rondema's Roughnecks attempted to repeat their famous feat from Misery. This time, however, fortune was not on their side. Surrounded by nearly two battalions, the Roughnecks were destroyed, killed to the last man. This further reduced the Dragoons' numbers. Evacuating the civilian population of the city, the Dragoons had until late April to prepare. After the Kuritans established a secure position outside the city, they began a campaign of bombardment with their remaining aerospace fighters. The Dragoon 'Mechs took cover in the city's vast underground mining facilities, avoiding serious damage while the city above was reduced to rubble. When the Kuritan 'Mechs finally attacked on 9 May, the Dragoons used the rubble as natural defensive positions, and the mercenaries and Wapakoneta militia ambushed their enemies repeatedly. Beta's First Provisional Company, led by Captain Susan Flandrey, was able to pick off two recon lances of Kuritans when they were cutoff. The rest of the Dragoons then attacked, destroying several Kuritan 'Mechs and forcing them to pull back. When the DCMS attacked again two weeks later, they did so in lance-sized units. The Dragoons split their remaining forces into three groups; Red Fire, Orange Fire and White Fire. Colonel Shostokovitch commanded Orange Fire with Beta's command lance, the survivors of Beta's Fourth Provisional Company, and Delta's First and Second Provisional Companies. Colonel Dumont, her command lance and Delta's Third and Fourth Provisional Companies would form White Fire. Captain Flandrey would command the Red Fire Group, leading the remnants of Beta's First and Second Provisional Companies. Orange and White Fire would hold the line above, attempting to pickoff individual Kuritan lances. Red Fire attached their 'Mechs to the underground trains and effectively creating a rapid response force that could strike at the attackers from below. The size of Colonel Dumont's 'Mech and several other heavy machines made this difficult, however, as the tunnels had never been designed for their size. This delayed their deployment when the fighting began to turn against the Orange and White Fire Groups. Pursued by the lances of the Proserpina Hussars, Red Fire was chased into the underground caverns. Captain Ramon Magdaleno and his Second Provisional Company led the pursuing Hussars into a side tunnel, where explosives had been set. Realizing they were being setup, the Hussars broke off their pursuit, forcing the Dragoons to detonate earlier than intended. Although they destroyed eleven Hussar 'Mechs, three Dragoons, including Captain Magdaleno, were lost. Magdaleno's last stand allowed most of his remaining warriors to make it out. Demoralized, the Hussars retreated. The White Fire group was able to save Orange Fire when they appeared behind the Galedon Regulars, leading the Twelfth to pull back as well. Although the Dragoons had again taken heavy losses, they remained alive and in control of Hannibal. In the aftermath of the battle, weather conditions made any further Combine attacks impossible for more than a month, with supplies for both sides running low. Using the winter storms as cover, the Dragoons withdrew through the underground tunnels and reached their DropShips, which they used to escape the planet. Of the nine companies of 'Mechs Beta and Delta had entered the battle with, only four had survived. After nine months of the Dragoons holding off two regiments, the battle for Wapakoneta was finally over.[107][108][115][101][118][119] Although they had fought with great skill and extracted a fearsome price from the DCMS forces, the fighting on Wapakoneta had proven devastating for Beta Regiment. Of the 64 warriors they had at the beginning of the campaign, 43 had been killed.[120] Captain Magdaleno's sacrifice became so honored among the Dragoons that it became an Honorname years later, with Magdaleno's genetic heritage becoming part of the Dragoons' Iron Womb program.[121]

The Dragoons regrouped on Crossing. Where once Wolf's Dragoons had fielded five regiments with full support, they were now reduced to one regiment of 'Mechs, many of which were still showing signs of damage from previous battles. On September 2, 3029, Kurita DropShips neared Crossing's orbit. The Twelfth Galedon Regulars had followed the Dragoons from Wapakoneta, as had the Fifth, Eighth and 16th Galedon Regulars, units that had fought the other Dragoon regiments on Harrow's Sun and Glenmora. Though all four Galedon Regular regiments had taken heavy losses, they had been reinforced by green recruits fresh out of the academy, bringing them up to strength on paper if not in unit quality. The Kuritans had a four-to-one advantage in numbers and had learned a great deal from their previous battles. They were cautious in their approach, weary of ambushes or traps. They were also accompanied by an elite 'Mech company (designated "Sword of the Void") of the DEST that remained in orbit as a reserve force. With such a large numerical advantage, the Combine forces chose not to bring their conventional troops into the battle, as they considered those forces as "worthless distractions", fit only to guard their DropShips. For their part, the Dragoons called up several units of their conventional forces who had been with the Home Guard on Robinson. These included three platoons who had formerly served with Beta Regiment. Colonel Wolf contacted the invading ships and told them where they would meet them. It was essentially a challenge, but it also served to protect the civilian population of Crossing, which was only lightly defended by the 10th Deneb Light Cavalry soldiers who had pulled off Glenmora with Alpha Regiment. The Galedon Regulars spent three weeks carefully arranging their regiments around the volcano. The true battle finally began on 28 September, as the Kuritan 'Mechs began to make their way up the Caldera. The campaign was long and hard, with the Dragoons making the Galedon Regulars pay for every inch they took in blood. At one point, the DEST team conducted a daring drop in the middle of the Dragoons defense, causing havoc behind the lines. The Dragoons appeared on the verge of collapse.[122][123][124]

Beta Regiment, though reduced to 21 operational 'Mechs entering the battle, held the line against astronomical odds. Colonel Shostokovitch led the remnants of his command lance and the Dragoons' second provisional company as they hammered into the advancing Regulars. The Dragoon counter-attack finally stalled when Shostokovitch's officers started falling. Shostokovitch ordered his troops to fallback, heroically covering the withdraw himself. Shostokovitch's actions rallied his men, who very nearly saved him before the combined fire of an entire lance of the Sixteenth Galedon slew the Dragoon Colonel in his Dervish.[125][126] Just as it seemed the Dragoons might collapse, elements of the Tenth Deneb would surprise the Galedon Regulars from behind, buying the Dragoons time to recover. It was at this point that Zeta Battalion arrived. The assault unit had recovered their strength on Robinson by absorbing other Dragoon elements and had arrived undetected in rented Mule-class DropShips. As the desperately needed reinforcements fell on the Galedon Regulars from behind, Colonel Wolf and his warriors finally crushed the DEST company, freeing them to turn on the Kuritan forces. The stabilization of the Dragoon lines and the arrival of monsters of Zeta completely demoralized the Kuritan forces. Most of the Fifth Galedon was destroyed climbing the mountain wall in an attempt to retreat, and the Sixteenth's survivors were forced to surrender to Natasha Kerensky. The Eighth and Twelfth were routed by the emboldened Dragoons, harassed by Inferno-rocket wielding infantry using the cover of the mountains. They would flee to their transports. Of the four Battlemech regiments that had attacked Crossing, only 112 Kuritan 'Mechs survived. Wolf's Dragoons had been brought to the edge of destruction, but their reputation was greater than ever. An entire Successor State had devoted all its resources to crushing them, yet they still lived. In the aftermath of the Fourth Succession War, Delta Regiment, like virtually every other Dragoon line unit, was effectively inactive, with losses far too high to field a viable command.[122][123] Of the 64 MechWarriors Beta Regiment had fielded at the start of the war, only 13 had survived, with many of those facing serious injury.[127]

After the horrors of Misery and the Fourth Succession War, the Dragoons retreated to their new homeworld of Outreach, which had been gifted to them by First Prince Hanse Davion. All of the Dragoons front-line units were effectively inactive this point, with the entire command barely able to field a regiment of BattleMechs. By 3031, Colonel Wolf was ready to send a unit out into the field built around Natasha Kerensky's old Black Widow Company. The Black Widow Battalion drew selected veterans from the Dragoon survivors, giving Wolf the time he needed to begin training the next generation of elite mercenaries. Two MechWarriors and two aerospace pilots were drawn from Beta's survivors to form the new unit, including newly-promoted Captain Darnell Winningham, who had formerly been a MechWarrior in Beta's Able battalion and later received a field promotion to Lieutenant in the First Provisional Company. Winningham, in reality, was Mackenzie Wolf, the son of Colonel Jaime Wolf, who had been living under an alias since at least the Marik Civil War.[128][129][130][131] In March 3035, Beta Regiment became the first Dragoon line unit to return to active duty. Observers speculated that the Black Widow Battalion would form the core of the new regiment, but this was quickly proven false as the Widows did not appear on Beta's roster, and instead withdrew to Remus where they began training the future Dragoon commands. The newly formed Beta Regiment would earn Wolf's Dragoons keep, formed from an equal combination of combat veterans and untested recruits, particularly war orphans who had been adopted by the Dragoons after the Fourth War. They were also permanently assigned a battalion of armored vehicles, the Long Riders, who had formerly been a company serving with the Dragoons' Support Battalion. Although their overall quality rating temporarily dipped to veteran, Beta was driven to perform beyond their ability, and within two years they had regained their elite status. The new Beta Regiment was distinct from the other rebuilt Dragoon units in that they regained their form in the field rather than through the Black Widows' rigorous training program.[132][133][134][135][136][137] At some point, Alicia Fancher was brought out of retirement by Colonel Wolf, and she would go on to command Beta Regiment.[138]

In 3039, Hanse Davion launched his long-awaited offensive against the Draconis Combine, eager to destroy House Kurita once and for all. Although most of the Dragoon units were still under-strength, Jaime Wolf was nevertheless compelled to include most of them in a massive Dragoon task force rotated to Caph in preparation for an eventual assault on Dieron. Beta Regiment and the Black Widow Battalion remained on Outreach, protecting the Dragoon civilians and assets, and so they missed out on the fighting on Caph.[139] Beta Regiment and the rest of the Dragoons would regain their reputation as the best mercenaries in the Inner Sphere over the following years.

When the Clan Invasion finally struck in 3050, Beta and all other Dragoon line units were recalled to Outreach. After the Dragoons conferred amongst themselves on a course of action, Colonel Wolf invited the leaders of the Successor States to their homeworld, where he revealed the Dragoons' origins, pledged his troops to the defense of the Inner Sphere against the Clans, and began training their leaders and heirs in tactics to defend their beleaguered realms. Wolf included Gunji-no-KanreiTheodore Kurita and his family among the invitees, despite the Dragoons' dormant feud against the Combine. For much of 3051, the Dragoons and the Inner Sphere prepared. Beta and the other line regiments were contracted out to the Federated Commonwealth.[140][141]

To the surprise of almost all, Hanse Davion did not send the Dragoons to his own Clan front to oppose the invading Jade Falcons, but rather deployed the elite mercenaries along with the Kell Hounds to Luthien to help defend the Combine's capital from Clans Smoke Jaguar and Nova Cat. The Dragoons would once again fight at the side of their old enemy, Takashi Kurita, as well as Theodore and Hohiro Kurita, and Morgan Kell and his Kell Hounds. By this point, Beta's quality was such that they were among the best not only among Inner Sphere regiments but within Wolf's Dragoons as well, stacking up against the best mercenary and elite House Kurita regiments on the greatest stage. On 4 January, 3052, battle was joined. Beta fought during the titanic struggle in the Kado-Guchi Valley, facing the best Clusters of two invading Clans. Near the climax of the battle, the Nova Cat host poured into the valley and charged towards the city, only to be stopped cold by three regiments of Kell Hounds and Wolf's Dragoons, including Beta Regiment. Virtually all units suffered very heavy losses, with Beta's armored battalion taking particularly serious casualties. Though both the Kuritans and their mercenary allies had all taken heavy losses, they successfully repulsed the invaders in a stunning victory.[142][143][144][145] Jaime Wolf quickly worked to rebuild the Dragoons from their losses, incorporating Sibko cadets, war orphan trainees who had come of age and captured Clan Bondsmen taken on Luthien, as well as the children and grandchildren of the "original" Dragoons. For equipment, salvage from the fighting on Luthien and the production lines of Blackwell Corporation provided the Dragoons with a wealth of Clan tech equipment, even including Clan OmniMechs.[146]

Beta Regiment continued to serve with distinction during the early Clan Invasion Era, both against Clan and Inner Sphere opponents. In 3053, Beta Regiment conducted a raid against an unnamed Kurita world, with Colonel Fancher reporting no enemy contract beyond initial skirmishing with the planetary militia, but communications intercepted by the Dragoons indicated aerospace elements hiding beyond the planet's moon.[147]

In February 3054, Beta joined the Spider's Web Battalion along with the 4th Skye Rangers RCT and 20th Arcturan Guards as part of an AFFC counter-offensive at Morges. The border world had just fallen under attack by Clan Jade Falcon's Peregrine Galaxy, who had just finished defeating the standing garrison when the relief task force arrived. Colonel Wolf himself accompanied the Dragoons, joined by his command and bodyguard lances. Although the AFFC troops faced the bulk of the fighting, the Dragoons would make critical contributions with Beta Regiment holding the line and the Spider's Web, under the command of Mackenzie Wolf, fought to flank the Falcons. Realizing the danger, the Falcons proceeded to drop more troops down on Morges that had been waiting in orbit, but Dragoon aerospace fighters harried them the way down. At the climax of the battle, Colonel Fancher radioed the command lance to report a breakthrough north of the city of Josselles where the Dragoons had setup their headquarters. Two Stars on OmniMechs had breached Beta's lines, and were threatening to open a wedge between the Dragoons and the AFFC troops. With the assistance of Beta's Elementals, Wolf and his command unit were able to repel the Clan warriors, holding them off long enough for Beta's reserves to linkup with FedCom conventional forces, plugging the hole. Fancher continued to command Beta as the battle turned decisively in the Dragoons favor, allowing her executive officer, Martin Reed, to brief Jaime Wolf on the developments. Within a few hours, the battle had been decided, and the Falcons retreated in defeat. Despite serious casualties to all the Inner Sphere forces, Beta Regiment had tallied another victory on its record.[148][149][150]

As the Dragoons attempted to incorporate personnel from so many different backgrounds, they struggled to socially acclimate. The original Dragoons had all shared a common origin and purpose, with established traditions and protocols. Many of the new Dragoons felt they were disenfranchised either by nepotism or by the younger generation produced by the Dragoon sibkos. These tensions soon began to bleed out, and Elson Novacat, a bondsman Elemental taken on Luthien, would take advantage, using Colonel Wolf's grandson, the naive Alpin Wolf, as a proxy.[151][152] Novacat carefully cultivated allies amongst the Dragoon commanders, drawing Beta Regiment Colonel Alicia Fancher into his web of supporters. Fancher apparently still held a lingering resentment of Colonel Wolf for having dismissed her after Misery nearly 25 years earlier. The former clan warrior even suggested to Fancher that she herself might eventually command the Dragoons someday.[153]

In late October, Beta Regiment, who had been active on Vertabren on a contract, suddenly returned to Outreach. Shortly thereafter, Colonel Wolf returned after a visit to the Draconis Combine where the Dragoon feud with House Kurita had come to an end with the death of Takashi Kurita. There, with Colonel Fancher in attendance, he was informed of the death of his son, Mackenzie Wolf, on a mission to the Periphery.[154][155] On 31 October, 3054, the Dragoons held a session of their Council with the purpose of Jaime Wolf naming a new second-in-command. Due to the machinations of Elson Novacat and his supporters, several key supporters of Jaime Wolf were unexpectedly absent from the meeting. When the Colonel attempted to name Colonel Kelly Yukinov of Alpha Regiment as his second-in-command, Elson Novacat made his move, challenging Wolf for leadership of the Dragoons on Alpin Wolf's behalf. With Fancher's full support, the council voted to sanction the challenge. Novacat defeated Pietr Shadd, Wolf's champion, in a Circle of Equals, and Alpin became the leader of the Dragoons.[156][157] Styling himself Khan, Alpin quickly named Novacat his second-in-command as saKhan.

Jaime Wolf soon rallied most of the Dragoon Home Guard to his cause, setting the stage for the Dragoon Civil War. Beta and Gamma Regiments were both entirely on Outreach, and followed their respective commanders, Colonels Fancher and Neil Parella, in support of Alpin and Elson. Two battalions of Epsilon Regiment were also present under the command of Colonel Elizabeth Nichole, but the unit's support of the new regime remained questionable at best. Nevertheless, Elson's supporters held a huge advantage in men, equipment and skill. With several units away on contract, specifically Alpha and Delta Regiments, Zeta Battalion and the Spider's Web Battalion, the usurpers seemed to hold the edge.[158] However, the Aerospace Operations Group, particularly the Dragoon WarShips, remained neutral for the conflict, however, ensuring the battle would be won or lost on the ground.

Another apparently neutral force was a large group of Kuritan recruits to the Dragoons who had joined Wolf on his recent journey from the Combine. Many of them had served in the original Ryuken, or were the sons of those who had, and they had followed Michi Noketsuna and Kiyomasa Tetsuhara to Outreach. Although some had brought their own equipment, many had also been issued Dragoon 'Mechs prior to Jaime Wolf's removal. When the Kuritans attempted to depart Harlech City via their DropShips, Colonel Fancher impulsively ordered two Battalions of Beta Regiment into action, attempting to stop them at the spaceport. With the situation spiraling out of control, Novacat countermanded Fancher's orders, pulling Beta and the Seventh Kommando back. In part as a result of this incident, the Kuritans sided with Jaime Wolf in conflict.[159]

The true battle began with Beta Regiment forming a beachhead in Remus' Green Sector, joined by "Khan" Alpin Wolf and supported by Iota and Kappa Battalions, auxiliary units formed from mercenaries hoping to win a permanent position within the Dragoons. Iota was soon lured into an ambush in the Hannovassian Highlands by Home Guard armor units and the Spider's Web Battalion, which had since arrived and sided with Wolf. Armed with Clan-tech, the Spider's Web routed the hapless Iotas before Beta could intervene. Beta's second battalion moved to engage while their third battalion attempted to flank, only to see the Spiders pull back with some salvage from the Iotas. Despite the losses, Beta and the Alpin loyalists had their beachhead.[161] Beta Regiment and its accompanying units continued to advance into Green Sector even as the defending forces rotated; Beta now faced Home Guard 'Mechs that, through deception, were believed to be commanded by Jaime Wolf, himself. The loyalists following Alpin and Elson, including Beta Regiment, began referring to themselves as "Hunters" just as Colonel Wolf's rebels had styled themselves "Wolf Pack".[162] Elson Novacat joined with Beta Regiment's task force even as Kappa Battalion was rotated to support Gamma Regiment in Orange Sector. Zeta Battalion soon arrived in support of Alpin's claim, and they were assigned to the arid wastelands of Green Sector. The Wolf Pack 'Mechs opposing Beta were primarily led by Captain Brian Cameron, Jaime Wolf's communications officer, alongside veteran Dragoon Jenette Rand, who led their Battlegroup with great skill despite being outnumbered and outclassed. When Zeta Battalion arrived, however, they were soon driven back.[163] Meanwhile, Gamma Regiment continued to advance slowly against the Spider's Web Battalion. Epsilon Regiment remained stalled in Blue Sector, having been repulsed by the Kuritans.

The deciding battles of the campaign finally came on 15 November 3055. As Beta Regiment continued to hammer the retreating Home Guard forces, the Wolf Pack 'Mechs still managed to give better than they got, falling back towards the Tetsuhara Proving Grounds. The Wolf Pack 'Mechs attempted to rally at a faux factory complex used for training purposes, only for it to turn into an ambush, as the Wolf Pack unleashed their Elementals, under the command of Pietr Shadd, who were using "Zoomer" hovercraft stolen from Blackwell Industries in a raid. Wolf's forces were able to jam the communication frequencies with a relay system set up beforehand, creating confusion amidst Beta's forces. At this point the Wolf Pack 'Mechs regrouped and retreated out of the complex, leaving their Elementals behind as they once again began falling back towards the training grounds. Colonel Fancher immediately led her 'Mechs in pursuit, leaving her own Elementals behind in the complex to finish off their opposition. The Wolf Pack Elementals, however, promptly boarded their hover transports and abandoned the training facility, attacking Beta's 'Mechs from behind just as the Home Guard forces turned and suddenly engaged. This temporarily removed Beta's Elementals - and Elson Novacat, in particular - from the fight. Jaime Wolf chose this exact moment to commit his reserves, including his personal command and the Kuritans, to reinforce the suddenly regrouped Wolf Pack. After weeks of fighting, the final battle was nigh.[164]

Beta's Elementals desperately attempted to catch up to the battle, but were caught in open areas by Wolf Pack 'Mechs. Novacat was knocked out of the combat when a Locust blasted his Elemental suit. Colonel Fancher, still without her communications, attempted to direct her forces with her 'Mechs using hand signals. This made her a target for the remnants of Captain Rand's light company, who personally engaged Fancher, distracting her from commanding the battle. The fighting between Beta and the Wolf Pack forces lasted for hours with both sides taking serious losses. Longtime Dragoon and Wolf bodyguard Hans Vordel was killed during the fighting. At the climax of the battle, Rand's 'Mechs finally succeeded in downing Fancher's 'Mech, killing Beta Regiment's Colonel. Even with the jamming relays finally collapsing, Martin Reed, Fancher's executive officer, took command of Beta's tattered remnants and pulled them back in good order. This result, combined with the victory of Captain Maeve over Alpin Wolf in single combat on the other front, gave the Wolf Pack forces the momentum.[165][166] Zeta Battalion, which had seen heavy fighting earlier in the campaign, moved to engage Colonel Wolf's forces, but before battle could be joined, Fleet Colonel Issola Chandra intervened, taking on the responsibility of Loremaster and declaring Jaime Wolf the victor of the Trial of Refusal. At long last, the Dragoon Civil War was at an end.[167][168][169]

In the aftermath of the conflict, which came be known as "Elson's Challenge" among the Dragoons, Anton Rand, a young hot-headed officer, emerged as Beta Regiment's new commander, quickly instilling new vitality into the rebuilding Betas. As with all other Dragoon commands, the regiment was reorganized and rebuilt under the new doctrine outlined by new General Maeve Wolf, who took over day-to-day command of the Dragoons. Jaime Wolf would take the title of Commander, in overall operational command of both the Dragoons and Outreach operations.[170][171][172] In one of their first assignments after the reorganization, Beta teamed with Delta Regiment on the Federated Commonwealth-Clan Jade Falcon border, supporting the relocation of Trellshire Heavy Industries.[173] In general, however, Beta Regiment spent four years rebuilding, building itself up to full strength in terms of quantity and quality. When the Word of Blake, who had seized control of Terra in 3058, began expanding their influence into the Chaos March to former independent worlds and forming their own Protectorate, Commander Jaime Wolf responded by forming the Allied Mercenary Command to counter their influence. The Dragoons were joined by such illustrious mercenary commands as the Northwind Highlanders and the Dismal Disinherited in this new organization, advocating for worlds struggling to remain free of Blakist occupation. Beta Regiment became the Dragoons' trouble-shooter unit through the Chaos March, seeing action on several worlds.[174][175] Around mid-3067, Beta Regiment encountered the Blakists’ 1st Division (True Devotion IV-Beta) on Epsilon Eridani, and the two elite commands began engaging each other in a back-and-forth struggle for the planet.[176] As of 1 September, 3067, Beta Regiment was reportedly still based on Epsilon Eridani, with 20 percent of their equipment composed of Clan technology. The unit was considered 100 percent upgraded with OmniMech comprising 10 percent of their 'Mechs contingent. With the Dragoons expanded organizational structure along with Beta's conventional and aerospace assets, Beta was considered at 140 percent of regimental strength. As they were officially acting on behalf of the Allied Mercenary Command to curtail Word of Blake activities, they were considered uncontracted at the time,[177] although another report claims that their operations on Epsilon Eridani were serving "Capellan interests".[178]
Unfortunately, their lack of permanently attached aerospace assets soon led the campaign to turn decisively against Beta Regiment. During an orbital drop, Beta's DropShips took heavy damage before they even reached the surface, with two ships full of troops lost. The Long Riders, Beta's armored battalion, held the line but suffered the loss of almost their entire heavy tracked contingent. Facing 30 percent casualties and lacking sufficient support in the air or on the ground, Colonel Rand ordered a retreat.[179][180]

Returning to Outreach, General Maeve Wolf's review of Rand's actions found that he had exercised good judgment, and that the defeat on Epsilon Eridani had been due to an outdated tactical doctrine. To meet this new challenge, General Wolf dramatically increased the standard size of regimental support units, expanding them to brigade size with an emphasis on fighter contingents. Alpha, Gamma and Delta Regiments quickly implemented the new doctrine, increasing their respective aerospace, armor and infantry attachments to regimental strength by drawing on transfers from the aerospace Operations Group and other combat support units, as well as from the Home Guard. Beta Regiment's 'Mechs were likewise quickly brought up to full strength as well without any noticeable drop-off in skill quality. Their supporting units would take longer, however, as the Long Riders had been reduced to two companies and the Kneecappers, Beta's Elemental Battalion, were also under-strength. In order to help bring Beta and Epsilon Regiments up to full strength as quickly as possible, both commands were temporarily issued older equipment such as the GAL-1GLS variant of the Gallowglas, a Blackwell Corporation 'Mech that was popular with Wolf's Dragoons and other mercenaries. Although somewhat outdated by Dragoon standards, this equipment was still considered upgraded in comparison to the rest of the Inner Sphere. This practice allowed Beta to quickly fill their MechWarriors' ranks. This was intended to be a temporary measure, with newer equipment scheduled to arrive in the following weeks. Beta's regimental command company was also folded into the regiment at one point to ensure they met standard regimental strength. By 1 October, 3067, Beta Regiment's 'Mech contingent was reportedly back up to full strength in line with the Dragoons' organization structure, and oversized in comparison to most regiments. The Timber Wolves had retained their elite status and were reportedly completely upgraded with Clan technology, marking them as the best-equipped mercenary force on record, not counting the other Dragoon units. Only 10 percent of their fielded 'Mech force were OmniMechs, however, which was below the average for a Dragoon line unit. Beta was scheduled to be at full strength, with a regiment each of armored vehicles, infantry and aerospace fighters, by the end of 3068. In the meantime, they would remain on Outreach.[181][182][183][184]

On 15 October, 3067, Blakist-sponsored mercenaries launched an all-out assault on the Dragoons in their headquarters of Harlech City, the capital of Outreach. Emerging out of TempTown, Harlech's quarter for less-than-reputable mercenaries, Waco’s Rangers, Smithson's Chinese Bandits, the Tiger Sharks and the 51st Dark Panzer Jaegers struck with great ferocity. Several smaller and less reputable groups, other "Temptown Trash", threw their lot in with Waco after the fact. The Red Riders, Dark Lloyd's Wild Bunch, Garret's Metalshod, Upshaw's Highland Moors and the Terriers were just some of the mercenaries who went rogue in the darkest hour of their trade. With the addition of these and other disgruntled and opportunistic mercenaries, these groups totaled approximately four BattleMech regiments along with supporting units, all ostensibly under the command of Colonel Wayne Waco, who still carried a murderous grudge against the Dragoons from New Aragon. Word of Blake ROM also had operatives participating in acts of terrorism and sabotage against the Dragoons, as Bloody Hand agents were found to have destroyed a key power generator station. Colonel Waco and his Rangers led the charge out of TempTown, finally acting on their long-simmering grudge. In one of the most devastating early attacks, the Chinese Bandits used fuel-air bombs on the Home Guard compounds and the spaceport in Harlech, crippling the Dragoons' available aerospace assets. These fighters then dropped cluster bombs on the Dragoon housing complex, killing huge numbers of warriors and their civilian families. The Tiger Sharks, a battalion strong, had been returning from an exercise with the Outreach Mercenary Training Command when they suddenly overwhelmed their escorts and launched an attack on the Harlech Interplanetary Drop Port, overwhelming the company of Home Guard 'Mechs who tried to oppose them. The Panzers, who had officially been part of the AMC, joined the Rangers and other renegades in an attack on the Hiring Hall, the heart of the mercenary trade. The early attacks proved devastating, with the Blakist mercenaries successfully seizing the Drop Port and destroying both the Hiring Hall, the center of the mercenary trade for thirty years, and Wolf Hall, the headquarters of Wolf's Dragoons. A small contingent of the Lone Wolves, led by an alleged Word of Blake plant, defected to Waco's forces, attacking the Home Guards' firebase. This led to some of these Wolves siding with the Dragoons and others with the attackers. Although the pro-Waco Lone Wolf forces were ultimately destroyed, the Lone Wolves quickly fled Outreach.

Beta Regiment distinguished themselves relatively early on, and began hammering the ad-hoc rogue mercenary commands by the evening of the fifteenth. Although Beta and Epsilon Regiments were both on Outreach, large portions of each were still on the continent of Remus, the Outback, and had to be recalled to meet the challenge. Only the beleaguered Home Guard, supported by the soon-arriving Zeta Battalion and the Wolf Spiders, were available to immediately flock to Commander Jaime Wolf's call for reinforcements. Beta Regiment, along with Zeta Battalion and the Spiders, would all take very serious losses, either to the initial terrorist-method attacks or to the fighting that followed. For Epsilon Regiment and the Home Guard, it was effectively the end. Epsilon's losses were so devastating that the regiment was considered destroyed, as was the case with the Home Guard ground units on Romulus. The survivors of both were absorbed into other units. The Coalition forces supporting the Dragoons also suffered serious losses, as the Battle Magic mercenary unit, long-time supporters of the Dragoons, were hit hard by Waco's aerospace lances in the opening hours of the fighting, and were ultimately wiped out despite their use of the innovative Multi-Missile Launcher system which they had developed. The Broadsword Legion, supposedly a band of former Com Guard warriors, publically sided with the Dragoons but managed to avoid most of the fighting. Independently of the Dragoons and the AMC, Blackwell Industries hired Grandin's Crusaders, a neutral company, to extract one of their vice-presidents from harm's way. The Crusaders ambushed Panzer elements and succeeded in their mission, later standing down to Beta Regiment. At the climax of the battle, Commander Jaime Wolf's command lance met Colonel Wayne Waco leading another charge at the head of a company of his Rangers, near the ruins of the Hiring Hall. The ensuing fight was to the death, as the Dragoons gave better then they received. Colonel Waco's Battlemaster charged Wolf's Archer in close-range combat. Wolf defeated Waco, slaying the madman, but died of his injuries shortly thereafter. Elementals from the Special Recon Group found him there, still at the controls in his cockpit. In response to this development, Brian Cameron activated Condition Feral, ordering all Dragoon forces to utterly destroy all non-AMC forces that did not immediately stand down, and meeting all resistance with overwhelming and deadly force. Although some neutral mercenaries were inadvertently attacked in the resulting carnage, the order nevertheless pushed the remaining Dragoons into a berserker rage that resulted in the total destruction of all the renegade mercenary forces. The fighting had lasted more than four days, with civilian casualty estimates running towards a quarter of a million. The Dragoons would come to know the devastation as The Day or First Harlech.[185][186][187][188][189][190][191][192][193][194][195][196][197]

In the aftermath of the battle, the Dragoons and their allies attempted to recover as much as they could under the circumstances, with Brian Cameron assuming overall command of Outreach in Jaime Wolf's absence. Colonel Rand of Beta Regiment had survived the fighting, and was now desperately attempting to get Beta Regiment back up to full strength, absorbing survivors from Epsilon Regiment and the Home Guard. Zeta Battalion had reorganized as well, adopting their old battalion-sized formation as they could no longer maintain their reinforced Cluster strength. The Dismal DisinheritedSecond Regiment soon arrived, aiding in the cleanup effort on behalf of the AMC. The three commands would spearhead an AMC retaliatory strike against the Word of Blake. Gamma Regiment had been recalled from its post on Tukayyid, and would take up the defense of Outreach alongside the Wolf Spiders and the few remaining elements of the Home Guard and other Dragoon support units. General Maeve Wolf was also quickly returning to Outreach along with Alpha Brigade from their posting on the Combine-Clan Ghost Bear border, but they would need several weeks to make the trip. Along with the AMC, the Dragoons decided to strike back right at the Word of Blake's doorstep. Not at Terra itself, but at the Mars colony, headquarters to Word of Blake ROM, among other facilities. Beta Regiment and Zeta Battalion headed to Liberty, where the Task Force armada, code-named Vengeance, would gather.[198][199][200][201][202][203]

On 7 December, 3067, Task Force Vengeance appeared at a pirate jump point within Mars orbit. Beta and Zeta had been joined by the bulk of the remaining Dragoon aerospace fighter assets from Outreach, along with the Second Dismal Disinherited and Lindon's Battalion, both staunch supporters of the Coalition. In addition to the JumpShips and DropShips, two of Wolf's Dragoons' WarShips, the WDS Athena and the WDS Beowulf, joined in. It was believed this would be more than enough force to overwhelm whatever defense the Blakists offered. The armada was soon intercepted by a dozens of Dragau and Hive drones from Mars' Caspar IISDS control system. These were supported by scrambling Blakist WarShips, including a Naga, and other craft. Although the Dragoons and AMC ships and their accompanying fighter escorts fought with great determination, they were unprepared for such firepower from drone opponents who could sacrifice themselves at will. The fleet was destroyed, with only Zeta Battalion and elements of the Second Dismal Disinherited surviving planet fall intact. Beta Regiment and the other commands were all destroyed above Mars. The Disinherited units, damaged and disorganized, were quickly wiped out by enemy ground forces. Zeta Battalion fought on, but was completely destroyed after two days of fighting, facing the Word of Blake's 7th Division as well as orbital bombardment from Blakist WarShips.[198][204][205][206][207][208][209][210][211]

With their destruction at Mars, Beta Regiment did not face the further horrors of Second Harlech and the remainder of the Jihad. It would not be until decades later, in the early thirty-second century on the Dragoons' new home of Arc-Royal that Beta would finally be rebuilt. Although returned to the rolls, the new Beta Regiment was initially a training unit, feeding the Dragoons' active battalions including the new Spider’s Web and the Tarantulas, independent combined-arms units, and the Black Cats of the reformed Alpha Regiment. Beta Regiment raided several worlds in the Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey. They hit both Niihau and Preston but didn't remain there.[212]

In the Dark Age era, however, having signed a new contract with the Draconis Combine to help invade the Draconis Reach and later the Federated Suns, Beta Regiment was finally returned to regular active duty as a front-line unit.[213] After moving into Combine space in 3137 Beta began a good-natured rivalry with the Ryuken to see who could capture the most worlds from the Federated Suns.[212] They were based on Mauckport in 3145.[214]

Under Colonel Shostokovitch, Beta gained a reputation for bold and even reckless actions, sometimes leading to resounding failure but more often resulting in spectacular success, as Shostokovitch identified weaknesses in an enemy formation.[215] Able Battalion, known at the time as the Cavaliers, was originally an extraordinarily daring unit under the command of Major Palassis. Under Major Fancher, however, Able Battalion remade itself into a highly-disciplined unit, operating by the book.[216] Baker Battalion, known as the Heartbreakers, were a versatile command capable of fulfilling any assignment.[217] Charlie Battalion, the famed Red Guard, demonstrated an unbreakable will in combat, holding the line when other units would fold.[218] After Misery, Beta became an even more determined force, engaging in all operations with great determination, as deliberate as an iceberg whether on the offense or defense. This allowed them to force the Galedon Regulars to pay for every inch of ground in blood, and gave them the courage to make their final stand on Crossing.[219] Under Fancher's command, Beta was a well-trained, disciplined and professional command, relying on those core qualities where other units might use bold or creative strategies. Under Colonel Rand, Beta became an effective improvisational command. They would hold their Charlie Battalion, a highly mobile unit called The Guillotine, in reserve, then spring them at an opportune moment. They also utilized a "sucker punch" approach, using their mobile, jump-capable machines to lure an enemy's heavy elements out of position, then reforming with the rest of Beta and destroying the main enemy force before the heavy units could return.[220] Like all Dragoon units, Beta employed combined-arms tactics throughout their history.

In addition to their BattleMech forces, Beta Regiment included several attached aerospace, infantry and armor units, usually integrated at the company level. These included two Aerospace fighter lances, three infantry platoons, six combat vehicle platoons (composed of six machines each) and two Artillery platoons. Both artillery platoons and one infantry platoon were attached to the regimental command company. After the fighting on Misery, Beta was reorganized into five provisional companies. Most of the Aerospace and conventional forces were transferred to the Home Guard to help protect the Dragoon dependents, but some later rejoined Beta Regiment and saw fighting on Crossing.[222] Three Overlord-class DropShips were permanently assigned to Beta at this point, along with the Fortress-class Luanda.[223]

Beta employs a Greek letter B as its insignia, painted on the left legs of 'Mechs, the left wings of fighters, and the left fenders of their tanks and other vehicles. The Dragoons' Wolf-head emblem appears on the center torsos of 'Mechs and the fuselages of their fighters. They paint their machines an emerald green, aside from their aerospace fighters which are painted bright canary yellow, as per standard Dragoon practice.[230][231]

On page 47 of the Wolf's Dragoons (sourcebook), a timeline has Beta Regiment taking part in the battle on Dromini VI in 3020, alongside Alpha and Epsilon Regiments.[232] The narrative text makes it clear that it was Delta Regiment that joined Alpha and Epsilon.

According to the Luthien (scenario pack), Anton Rand already held command of Beta Regiment at the battle of Luthien in early 3052.[142] This is contradicted by many other sources that make clear he did not take command until after the Dragoon Civil War.[171]

According one mention in the novel Wolf Pack, Dechan Fraser, hero of Misery and later instructor among the Ryuken, served with Beta Regiment during his time as a Dragoon.[233] This is contradicted by many other sources which place Fraser in Alpha Regiment up until his departure.

Also according to Wolf Pack, Beta had reportedly been engaged on Vertabren just before Elson's Challenge began.[154] The planet Vertabren does not appear in any other work, and may also be considered to be an error.

Field Manual: Mercenaries and other sources seem to imply, by omission, that Alicia Fancher survived the Dragoon Civil War and was then ousted from command.[234] This is contradicted by Wolf Pack, which explicitly states that she was killed during the fighting.[166]

The operation to relocate Trellshire Industries in 3055[173] is not supported by other publications.

Beta Regiment units are allowed to employ Off-Board movement. Opposing units are only permitted to exit the map from Beta's home edge.[237] Like all Dragoon units, when using the Random Mapsheet Tables, the Dragoons player may increase or decrease their roll by up to two, and may alter an opponent's roll by one. They may also ignore the +1 to-hit modifier for firing at multiple targets, and may not be intimidated unless three-quarters of their starting force is destroyed.[238][239][240] During the early Clan Invasion Era, Beta Regiment and all Dragoon units may roll on any Inner Sphere column desired if using the Random Assignment Tables to determine Dragoon ’Mechs. The Dragoons of this era may roll on the Clan Wolf, Smoke Jaguar and Secondary Invading Clan columns up to two times per lance, accounting for origins and salvage taken on Luthien.[238] After Elson's Challenge, the Dragoons' Clan equipment situation stabilized. When using Random Mech Assignment Table rules, the Dragoons player may add +1 to their roll. If this puts their roll at 13, the Dragoons player may choose any Inner Sphere or Clan 'Mech from that weight class.[239][240]